


Welcome to Pan-Pacific High

by SixtySevenChevy



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Basketball, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-08
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-07 23:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1125593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SixtySevenChevy/pseuds/SixtySevenChevy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann plays (and hates) basketball. Newt is the head cheerleader. Stuff happens, including: coffee dates, dumb monster movies, sports, physics, and, like any other work of fiction about basketball, a copious amount of High School Musical references. And love. Lots of love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Things I am clueless about:  
> 1\. basketball  
> 2\. cheerleading  
> 3\. physics
> 
> Things I know a lot about:  
> 1\. dumb dorks in love  
> 2\. that's pretty much it
> 
> Forgive me for any major issues. I'll probably end up rereading and fixing typos and massive errors and having minor existential crises tomorrow. Also, this is the mandatory disclaimer. No matter how many stars I wish upon, I own nothing.

Newton Geiszler looks fantastic in a skirt, thank you very much. Sadly, his high school was somewhat unprepared for—gasp!—a seemingly male student wanting to be a cheerleader, and as such had refused to allow him to cheer for the first few basketball games of his first year while they ordered a uniform for him that _wasn’t_ a skirt, despite his insistence that he could totally pull it off. 

That was two years ago, back when he was just an itty bitty freshman (who was maybe supposed to be in eighth grade and had maybe already graduated and just come back to high school for the fun of it) and since then, he’d been on the cheerleading squad every year. But always basketball. He wouldn’t touch the football cheerleaders with a ten foot pole. Those girls were downright vicious. 

Plus there was the added bonus of the entire basketball team being gorgeous. Sometimes he wondered who were the most delicious eye candy; the cheerleaders, or the basketball team. Probably depended on who you asked. It was this hypothesis that led him to voice his questions in the middle of a chemistry lab that he’d done a thousand times already and could have done with his eyes closed and both hands tied behind his back. 

“Yo, Tendo,” he whispered, and Tendo almost dropped the bottle of chemicals in his hand. A student from the table behind them made an irritated noise, and the room went back to being utterly silent. Newt stared at the black top of the lab table for exactly ten seconds before trying again. “Tendo.”

“What,” Tendo hissed, cautiously eyeing the concoction before him. It was dark blue. It was supposed to be red. 

“For one, you did the steps in the wrong order, and if you continue without fixing it, you’re probably gonna lose your eyebrows. For two, do you think the cheerleaders are hotter than the basketball team?”

Tendo made a somewhat angry noise in the back of his throat. He stood without a word and hurried to the nearest sink, dumping out his failed bottle of whatever they were supposed to be making—Newt had quit listening after a few minutes of instructions; he’d already passed high school and was working on his bachelor’s—and rinsed violently. Newt watched impassively while Tendo sat back down and began again, carefully reading the instructions without answering Newt’s question. 

“Am I hotter than the basketball team?” he repeated, and Tendo leveled a frown of epic proportions on him. 

“Some of them, yes. However, some of the cheerleaders are much more attractive than you. And I prefer to focus on personality, too, in which case, they’re all preferable,” Tendo whispered. Newt sighed and gave up on getting anything of value done this period. Annoying Tendo would have to do.

“Dude, which cheerleader do you think is hotter than me? They’re all nice people, you know. Except Sasha, but that’s only because she’s Russian and I think they’re all scary over there. And Mako would beat you up, too. Anyway, I could set you up with one of them. Or, I could try,” he offered.

“What I would like to do is pass this class, which I’m not going to do if you don’t shut your trap,” Tendo spat, and Newt decided to leave him alone. He’d restart the conversation next period, when he had someone else to talk to once Tendo inevitably gave up and started ignoring him.

XXXXX

Their next period was hell. Actually, it was gym, but those two were synonymous. Anything that made innocent children run around in circles and hit each other with rubber balls was on the same level as eternal flame and damnation, anyway. Whoever came up with it deserved to burn.

Today’s punishment of choice was that old favorite, basketball. Their school was predominately a basketball school, probably because their football team was awful and everyone basically pretended it didn’t exist. The only good part of a football game was their marching band. They drew more of a crowd than the football players ever did. 

“I don’t see why I should have to play basketball,” Newt groaned. He’d somehow ended up on the same team as most of his friends, so he had someone to complain to. “I mean, I already attend every single game. Why must I be subjected to this torture?”

“Because it’s the law that every high school student take at least one year of gym. And now that we’re juniors, we can’t put it off much longer, so we’re taking it now. And you’re just stupid for coming to high school in the first place,” Tendo replied, eyes glued to the orange ball he was dribbling. Poorly, at that.

“I would push you down so you could pretend to be hurt and be excused today,” Sasha offered, and Tendo dropped his ball. He honestly looked terrified. Then again, everyone who didn’t regularly associate with Sasha and her boyfriend were terrified of them. Newt couldn’t figure out why. Once you got past the Russian accent and impressive strength, they were both really nice people. Okay, it was a little scary that they’d both managed to get sent to the same school, but she’d explained that that was just an error on their home schools’ part. Anyway, Aleksis was a pretty good basketball player, and that was all that truly mattered at Pan-Pacific High.

“That would be magnificent, Sasha,” Newt declared, and she grinned at him. Tendo cleared his throat, real fear in his eyes. Newt laughed and Sasha joined in, all while Tendo blinked in confusion. “But I don’t think it would seem like a good idea afterward.”

“Probably not,” Mako agreed, inserting herself seamlessly into their conversation under the guise of guarding them. Of the four, she’d ended up on the other team, who were currently winning. Truth be told, if they all got their heads in the game, the teams would be pretty evenly matched. However, most of the people on Newt’s team had dismissed the rest of the day as a lost cause. After all, it was Friday, and there was a basketball game that night.

The gym teacher—who was also the basketball coach, and the vice principal—blew his whistle at them from his position on the sidelines. Apparently, he’d been paying actual attention to the game. “Geiszler, Choi, come on! This is a game, not a gab session!” 

“With all due respect sir,” Newt began, and Coach Hansen rolled his eyes. The rest of the class slowed down a bit to listen in. “I don’t feel obligated to play this sport. I will never play this sport seriously. Instead I will be on the sidelines, making sure the moral is high and our team is in good spirits. And if I, a cheerleader, am forced to play basketball, why are the basketball players not forced to try cheerleading?”

Newt may or may not have taken a course on public speaking.

The room was dead silent but for the occasional thump of bouncing balls or squeak of sneakers. Coach Hansen studied Newt with careful eyes, calculating. Newt wasn’t entirely sure he would like the outcome. 

“Okay, Geiszler, the way I see it, I have two options. I can either tell you to shut up and keep playing, or I can ignore you and you can keep playing on you own. Pick one.” Coach Hansen’s expression was blank but his eyes were alive, watching Newt closely. 

Luckily, Newt was kept from answering by a very frantic student dashing in, whispering in Coach Hansen’s ear, and dashing back out without another word. The blood ran out of the coach’s face and he froze, before muttering, “Class dismissed” and walking stiffly from the gym.

The rest of the day was nowhere near as fun as arguing with Coach Hansen.

XXXXX

Newt really hated the tracksuit thing they made him wear, but he knew for a fact that half the others would kill to be wearing something other than the teeny skirt, so he put up with it. That didn’t stop him from wondering exactly who decided that the girls should wear itty bitty outfits while he was stuck in baggy envelope of cheap fabric. Whoever it was, he really wanted to have a few words with them.

The first half of the game went pretty smoothly, with a comfortable lead early on and the other team’s moral pretty low from the start. It was always exhilarating, being part of a screaming mass of fans like this, jumping around and chanting for your team, doing occasional cartwheels when it felt right. The other cheerleaders were all grinning and sometimes Aleksis would turn and give them a wave, to which they would all cheer as loud as they could, because of all the basketball players he was probably the one they hung out with most. Probably not the best looking, though. That honor was reserved for Newt’s personal favorite. His number was twelve and he was tall, lanky, and generally looked like he hated everyone and everything. He also had really good cheekbones. Now if only Newt knew his name, or possibly had a class with him… Or if only Newt had ever interacted with him further than receiving glares or occasionally seeing each other in the hallways between classes.

At halftime the other team’s cheerleaders did their show, which included a lot of jumping but not a lot of choreography or grace. It was alright, Newt supposed, but their routine was better. There was a reason they were a favorite at the state cheerleading championships every year. 

“Hey, Newt?” Allison asked, timid.

“Yeah?” he replied, distractedly watching the other team’s cheerleaders lift their captain into the air. It was a classic move, a crowd favorite, and they were quite good at it. Almost better than his own. “What do you need?”

“I was wondering… your friend Tendo. Is he… single?” she whispered, blushing, and he almost laughed.

“Single? Yes, very. Lonely? Also very. Crushing on you? Most likely,” he said conspiratorially, and she giggled. “You should totally ask him for coffee or something. Actually, no, that’s a bad idea. You never want to see Tendo with caffeine in his system. Maybe a movie at the drive-in. That’s still open, right?”

“I think so,” Mako broke in. Allison jumped a little, obviously startled by Mako’s sudden appearance. That girl was like a ninja sometimes; stealthy, flexible, agile, and scarily good at getting information from someone who didn’t want to talk. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d accidentally spilled a secret that was better off kept to himself. This was a bad thing, seeing as her father was the principal of their school, and thus had the power to enact disciplinary measures.

“Good, take him there,” Newt finished. Allison nodded and was about to say something else, but it was their turn to take to the middle of the gym floor and do some sort of acrobatics. 

Their routine involved a lot of leaping and minimal lifting, mainly because it was still only about halfway through the season and they didn’t want to overstress themselves before the bigger games. The crowd’s enthusiasm didn’t need much boosting, anyway. In fact, almost every person in the stands looked awake, alert, and alive, proudly wearing their slate grey and dark blue in support of the Pan-Pacific High Jaegers. They even cheered for the cheerleaders.

The squad finished their routine with just barely enough time for them to get back into their designated corner. The game started up again, with entirely new players on the field. Coach Hansen must have been giving their starters a break.

“What’s his name?” Mako asked, pointing. Newt wanted to reply sarcastically that it was kind of hard to tell when there was so much running involved, but he knew exactly who she was indicating. Everyone paid attention to him; Raleigh Becket, number twenty-four and the holder of the school record for highest vertical jump. He was also pretty good at math.

“Raleigh Becket. He’s pretty good, I guess, and kinda hot if you squint,” Allison replied. Sasha laughed and Mako raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow, a dangerous glint in her eyes. They all fell silent.

“Ask him if he has a date to prom,” Newt suggested to quell the awkward feeling that was slowly seeping into the conversation.

“Maybe I will,” Mako replied smoothly. Damn, that girl had skill.

“If you ask Raleigh, I’ll ask Tendo,” Allison offered. 

“I will ask Aleksis,” Sasha added, and Newt snorted. 

“You’re already a couple, Sasha,” he pointed out. They immediately launched into a small argument in fluent Russian, mainly consisting of curses and insults.

Allison cleared her throat, and they halted their bickering long enough to check the score—they were winning by eight points with about seven minutes to go in the third quarter—and listened raptly. She grinned wickedly, the dim light of their corner highlighting her high cheekbones and making the lighter roots of her dark hair shine. “We’re going to make a deal,” she announced, clearly and confidently.

Newt immediately balked. “No. You remember what happened last time.”

“Of course I do,” Allison simpered, batting her thick eyelashes. “Nothing bad happened.”

“Ali. A car was stolen. I spent the night in jail and I still have the scars,” he deadpanned, and she sighed, sounding very put-upon.

“Yes, but you think the scars make you look badass. Don’t even try to deny it. Plus, the guy didn’t even press charges, and you got to joyride in his car. _And _you got to hook up with a hot nurse,” Allison protested. Mako narrowed her eyes, probably wondering exactly what happened last time the cheerleaders made a deal.__

__Newt blinked several times, wondering exactly how Allison could be this thick. “After I had anti-venom pumped into my veins.”_ _

__“You had fun,” she declared._ _

__“I almost got expelled from my college,” he insisted, and she flipped a hand through the air nonchalantly._ _

__“You had fun,” she insisted. The game clock blared, signaling a timeout. “This conversation will resume when gameplay resumes.”_ _

__The four cheerleaders took their place in the center of the court, did one of those chanting cheers that involved shouting for the crowd to give them letters, and retreated back to their space. The buzzer blared and the sound of tennis shoes squeaking on the tan tile flooring filled the tiny gym._ _

__“Alright, ladies, what do you say?” Allison asked, making direct eye contact with each of them in turn. “We’re all going to ask our crushes if they’d like to see a movie or get coffee with us. Any rules you’d like to instate?”_ _

__Newt raised his hand. “I’d like to abolish the collective referring to us as ‘ladies.’”_ _

__Allison nodded. “Acceptable. Anything else?”_ _

__No one said anything, and Allison’s grin was wicked. She held her hand out expectantly, and the others placed theirs on top. As head cheerleader, Newt’s hand was required by ancient Pan-Pacific High custom to be the last on the pile. He extended it slowly, cautiously, more than a little put off by the look on Allison’s face. Sometimes he was very glad that he’d never met any of her siblings. He’d heard that she had several, and if they were anywhere near as bad as her, they’d probably take over the world one day soon._ _

__“We hereby agree to ask our crushes on dates. Every one of us who does not have a significant other will comply to this, and will be the first go-to in case of rejection. By agreeing to this pact, you agree to keep your couch open for anyone who needs a shoulder to cry on, and Friday nights free in case of double dates,” Allison recited. Mako and Sasha exchanged matching eye rolls. Newt wondered exactly why he was a part of this deal, seeing as he had no one he actually wanted to spend time with non-platonically. His bachelor’s degree was far more important, and the only person in school that he could possibly see himself “crushing on” was a basketball player who hated everyone._ _

__They sealed the deal and turned their attention back to the game._ _

__“So, I’m going to see if Tendo wants to do something, Mako is going to introduce herself to Raleigh, and Sasha will probably continue dating Aleksis. Who are you going to go after?” Allison pressed, leaning heavily on Newt’s shoulder. She tucked a strand of hair behind an ear and watched the game attentively, sometimes glancing at the other side of the court, where the pep club was screaming on the sidelines. Tendo, the president, looked like he’d downed a few coffees before coming._ _

__“Oh, I don’t know,” he hedged. “I don’t really have my eye one anyone.”_ _

__“We both know that’s a lie.”_ _

__“Is not!”_ _

__“Is too!”_ _

__Allison rolled her eyes. “Sweetie, we both know that you think that one basketball player is hot. What’s his number again? Twelve?”_ _

__Sasha, having overheard, made a small appraising sound in the back of her throat, shrugging. “That’s Hermann Gottlieb. He’s one of their best players, but he’s not a starter. Aleksis says he’s highly intelligent.”_ _

__“I don’t think he’s hot,” Newt said, a bit too defensive._ _

__“That’s a lie,” Mako announced simply, and Newt turned a very dark shade of red._ _

__“Fine, maybe I think he’s a little bit hot. But I’ve never actually spoken to him. And the one time I tried, I introduced myself and he glared until I left. And then he muttered angrily in German,” Newt protested, and Sasha patted him on the back sympathetically. He tried not to wince. For such a tiny person, she was really strong._ _

__“If at first you don’t succeed,” Allison sang. She sounded very much like Tendo, and Newt was suddenly afraid for what the future would hold if their impending relationship worked out. Oh God, there were _two_ of them. And in a few years, there could be _more.__ _

__“Fine! If you’re going to act like stereotypical Hollywood cheerleaders and pressure me into asking out the hottie, then I’ll humor you. But as soon as you start wearing all pink and being cruel to the freshmen, I’m out.” He crossed his arms angrily and didn’t participate in the next three cheers. On the fourth, Mako glowered at him until he joined in._ _

__Exactly how these people became his friends, he did not know._ _

__XXXXX_ _

__“Newton Geiszler, you’re going to be late!”_ _

__Newt sat bolt upright in bed, clutching the blankets as if they’d save him from an attacker. At first glance, everything looked normal; sunshine yellow walls, cluttered bookshelves, window wide open, little circle bouncing around the black screen of his sleeping computer. Then he noticed Tendo perched at the foot of his bed, clutching a steaming styrofoam cup of coffee and a bagel in the same hand, far too cheery for so early on a Saturday. All the fight drained out of Newt, and he slumped back onto his pillow with a sigh of relief._ _

__“You almost gave me a heart attack,” he grumbled, flinging a hand over his eyes. Was the sun really required to be so bright?_ _

__“I’m your ride to Robotics Club, kid. Since you can’t legally drive yet,” Tendo teased. Newt grumbled unintelligibly and rolled over. “Honestly, I don’t know why you even signed up for Robotics Club. Isn’t your major biology or something?”_ _

__“Biology, yeah, but it’s good to be well-rounded. Also, get the hell out of my room before I make my dad get the shotgun.”_ _

__“Actually, it was him that let me in. And he says to make sure you get up using whatever force necessary.” Tendo smirked and grabbed a fistful of the worn comforter, one eyebrow raised threateningly. “I will yank this blanket off of you. And we both know you sometimes sleep naked.”_ _

__“And we both know you totally want to yank the blanket off anyway,” Newt shot back, and Tendo mimed throwing up violently. They stared at each other for a few seconds more, each daring the other to act. Finally, after Tendo blinked slowly as if to say that he had all day, Newt admitted defeat by throwing his hands into the air and groaning angrily. “I hate you.”_ _

__“You love me,” Tendo correctly gently. “I’ll be in the living room with your dad until you come down. Every ten minutes it takes, I tell another embarrassing story. I think I’ll start with that one time the cheerleaders made you steal that guy’s car.”_ _

__“Damn you,” Newt hissed, and leapt out of bed as soon as the sound of Tendo’s laughter had disappeared down the stairs._ _

__It took him exactly seven minutes to get ready and drag his friend out the door._ _

__XXXXX_ _

__Somehow—probably thanks to the fact that Tendo drove like a maniac on LSD—they managed to get to the school ten minutes early, and without damaging Tendo’s ancient red Ford. Newt didn’t even spill the coffee Tendo had thrust into his hands, which was a miracle in and of itself._ _

__The classroom that had been delegated for Robotics Club meetings was small, and they were somewhat pressed for space. The desks were split into two groups with a path down the middle with the two halves facing each other, presumably so a teacher could keep an eye on all the students at once. The Robotics Club usually used it as a line between seniors and juniors, successfully keeping the two groups from—horrified gasp!—intermingling. The seniors clumped on the far side of the room, closest to the windows and furthest from the younger, and thus lesser, human beings. Newt didn’t know most of their names, but he recognized Coach Hansen’s son Chuck among them, along with two of the Wei triplets and Raleigh Becket’s brother. Sitting in the middle of junior turf were Raleigh Becket, Allison, and a few assorted sophomores and freshmen who felt safer among the juniors than by themselves. He and Tendo took their customary seats next to each other in junior space._ _

__Newt frowned to himself. Something was off. It took him a moment to figure out what was wrong, but when he did, he had to restrain himself from gaping in shock, complete with jaw on the floor and eyes the size of saucers. There was new addition to the club. And he was a basketball player._ _

__Sure, there were other basketball players in the club—the Becket brothers, the Wei brothers, Chuck Hansen—but they were mostly there to destroy stuff with combat robots, not to enjoy building and innovating new technologies. And this was no ordinary basketball player. No, this was a basketball player that he’d never expected to see outside of games. A basketball player who was even more attractive close up. A basketball player that Newt had kinda sorta been pressured into talking to by his pompom-toting friends._ _

__Newt’s first reaction was to turn to Tendo and gesture angrily, but Tendo seemed to be wrapped up in a conversation with a blushing Allison. So really, there was nothing left to do but stare a little._ _

__Hermann was sitting calmly in a desk on the senior side of the room, though Newt distinctly remembered him being a junior. He was also deeply engrossed in a debate with another student, and seemed to be winning. Newt leaned a little bit closer to try to listen in on their conversation about—theoretical physics?_ _

__“What you have to understand is that theoretical physics are very different from experimental physics in the first place,” Hermann was saying, and Newt hadn’t noticed until then how thick his accent was. British. How quaint._ _

__“How so?” the other senior asked, and Hermann looked about ready to murder the guy for pure stupidity._ _

__Newt really couldn’t help himself. “Theoretical physics involves mathematic models to explain and predict things, while experimental physics uses physical tools to explain the things theoretical physics explains.” Crude, but it would satisfy the masses._ _

__“Nearly,” Hermann allowed, and Newt suppressed a grin. Maybe he some small chance after all._ _

__“I don’t really like physics, myself. Sure, they’re interesting and all, but biology is where it’s at.” Out of the corner of his eye Newt could see Tendo mouthing _here we go again_ to Allison. “I mean, cells alone are so cool, man. They’re like little tiny factories, and they’re all basically the same but they’re all different, and I’m gonna shut up before I say something that will make everyone think I’m weirder than they already think I am.”_ _

__Hermann was staring at Newt appraisingly, as if sizing him up. Most of the other students stopped listening, having heard Newt say something about cells and given up on understanding anything that came out of his mouth. Suddenly, the conversation was one-on-one. “It’s not ‘weird’ to be passionate about your field of study.”_ _

__The pure amount of excitement Newt was feeling could have stunned Godzilla. “You think so? Most people just tell me to calm down, or channel the energy into something productive. That’s why I’m a cheerleader.”_ _

__“At least you enjoy your sport. I loathe basketball.”_ _

__“But Aleksis says you’re good at it.”_ _

__“Because I know things like basic Newtonian physics. Force, velocity, rate of speed. The only reason I excel at sports is because I understand how they work.”_ _

__“Dude. That’s hardcore,” Newt said. He thought Hermann was hot before. Now, he’s mentally planning to mount a five-year scientific expedition to Antarctica to check the melting rate of the polar ice caps, just in case Hermann’s sheer levels of hotness were directly affecting the rate of global warming. The only thing hotter than a hot dude was a hot dude who understood a little bit of science._ _

__Hermann was about to reply, but the meeting of the Robotics Club was called to order, and their attention was demanded elsewhere._ _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making you wait such a long time! A good friend of mine recently had important--and impromptu--surgery, but he's fine now and I have time to do things like write. I suppose I should also mention that I'm really not trying to ignore Hermann's disability (is that the right word? I hope) or pretend it doesn't exist in any way. Stuff will happen, as stuff always does.
> 
> Things I know nothing about:  
> 1\. car accidents  
> 2\. college  
> 3\. dialogue
> 
> Also, apologies for any mistakes. I'll fix them soon, I promise. And the coding doesn't seem to be wanting to work properly, so if there are supposed to be italics and there aren't any, please forgive me.

Newt decided to insert himself seamlessly into Hermann’s life. That way, he figured, he could get a feel for Hermann’s relationship situation, orientation, and personality without embarrassing himself or getting beat up by the basketball team. Although, that last one might end up a little bit hilarious. Once he got out of the inevitable coma, he’d be able to listen to how Mako and Sasha beat up the basketball team in revenge. 

His first move was to initiate a conversation. This was considerably more difficult than in theory.

He finally managed to run into Hermann in the library, of all places. Newt had been planning on sneaking in, grabbing a few encyclopedias, and dashing back out before some nosy librarian tried to insist that all reference books should stay in the library. Of course, he happened to spot the object of his hesitant affections, sitting alone at a table in the corner, nose buried in a thick textbook and ignoring the world around him. Newt just had to say hello. He did so by plopping down into the chair opposite Hermann and making an impromptu introduction.

“Hey, Hermann,” Newt said, and Hermann glared at him above the rims of his reading glasses. And wow, that was way hotter than anyone reading a chemistry textbook had the right to be. Newt rubbed the back of his neck and wondered exactly what he’d been planning on saying. 

“Yes?” Hermann replied after a beat of awkward silence.

“Um.” Newt beat back the urge to kick himself in the face. “What’s up?”

The look Hermann gave him could have leveled a redwood forest. “Clearly, I’m attempting to study.”

All at once, Newt’s massive brain kicked back on and he spit out the first thing that came to mind.

“Why? I mean, I talked to Sasha, and she says Aleksis says you’re crazy smart. Like, smart enough that you don’t have to study.” Yep, the urge to throw himself off a tall building was growing. 

Luckily, Hermann didn’t appear overly angered over this bout of word-vomit. He simply closed his book and laid it down on the chipped table, folding his hands on the cover and staring at Newt with an appraising, slightly interested expression. It was the same expression Newt gave to new biological samples when looking through a microscope: confused but intrigued.

“He said this?” Hermann asked, and Newt tried not to nod too enthusiastically.

“Yeah, man, he said you’re top of the class and everything. How he knows, I’m not sure, because he’s a senior and you’re a junior, but that’s what he says.” Great, Newt, just great. Make the guy think you’ve been following him and asking questions about him. Good job. I’m sure he’s just chomping at the bit to get to know you now.

“I’m tied, if you must know,” Hermann replied offhandedly, as if it didn’t matter and was common knowledge to everyone. “I have the same grade-point average as someone by the last name Geiszler.”

Newt laughed and was shushed by at least three people. He didn’t apologize. “Dude, we have the same GPA? Awesome. Now we _have_ to be friends.”

Hermann blinked. “ _You_ have perfect grades? A cheerleader?”

“Aw, man, no,” Newt groaned, frowning. “Don’t tell me you buy into the Hollywood dumb cheerleader bullshit. We’re actually really intelligent people.”

“I wasn’t implying that you’re below average purely because of your pastimes,” Hermann insisted, but Newt wasn’t really buying it. “I was implying that I’ve seen you before, and nothing about your demeanor suggests anything other than mediocrity.”

“What if I told you that I technically already graduated high school?” Newt smiled slyly, one eyebrow raised, determined to get through this conversation and win.

“Then I would give you kudos, and hesitantly acknowledge you as my equal,” Hermann deadpanned, and Newt nearly died right then and there. 

“You too?” he blurted, and was shushed again. Gosh, these book-dwellers were a finicky bunch.

Hermann nodded. “Yes. My father insisted that I return to high school to become more ‘well-rounded.’ I disagree.”

“Is that why you play basketball? Because, no offense, your face is always full of hate when you play.”

Another nod. “It is.”

“Dude, that blows.”

“Crude, but accurate.”

The bell rang, thus ending the first contact between the two species known as Gottlieb and Geiszler.

XXXXX

The second time the two shared a conversation was the next day, and it was arguably the best and worst Tuesday of Newt’s life. 

It stared out normal enough, with Tendo banging on his bedroom door until Newt was fully awake and aware that they were running twenty minutes late. After a brief argument with Tendo on the subject of skipping altogether, he managed to yank on a pair of jeans and a shirt that was probably clean, scald his mouth with a cup of coffee, and nearly strangle himself with the seatbelt in Tendo’s ancient red Ford. By then they were only about ten minutes late, and Newt was able to relax a bit.

That’s when Tendo hit the yellow car.

A split second before the collision, Newt shouted at Tendo to _watch out, there’s a car going through that light, you’re going to--!_ The sentence was never finished.

There was a lot of crashing, some screaming, a loud thud or two, and then ringing silence. Newt blinked and wondered exactly why the air bags didn’t go off, before remembering that of course the dinosaur they rode in wasn’t equipped with modern safety features like that. His head hurt like a bitch and he tasted blood and was probably missing a tooth. But he was alive.

“Tendo?” he groaned, and received a bleak moan in response. Mild panic set in, and Newt glanced frantically at his best friend. He was slumped forward in his seat, forehead resting gently on the steering wheel. There didn’t seem to be much blood, but that didn’t mean anything. “Tendo, you gotta respond. Are you okay?”

“Um. Ow,” was the only reply, and a weak cough. Newt decided that Tendo was probably okay, and turned his attention to the Ford. A spiderweb of cracks had taken over the windshield, and Tendo’s door was dented in. Poor guy probably broke his arm or something. Steam was gently curling from under the hood—or was it smoke? Either way, not good. 

“We should probably get out of the car,” Newt suggested, and Tendo laughed breathily. That was most likely a good sign, right? Newt knew nothing about car accidents and shock and head injuries. Though he was planning on a doctorate, it wasn’t actually in medicine. He was basically useless, but at least he could keep calm, right?

“My door’s not opening anytime soon. We’ll have to go out yours,” Tendo said, and Newt immediately turned and tried to force his door open. It almost refused, but he eventually managed to wrench it open and climb out carefully, trying to avoid the little patch of broken glass from the windshield. He stood, blinking in confusion, staring at the wreckage around him. Then he remembered Tendo’s likely broken arm, and helped pull his friend out of the passenger seat. Together they stood and surveyed the scene in total dismay.

They’d been clipped by a yellow car running a red light at a fortunately low speed, which was sitting on the pavement a few feet away with a dented front end. The front of their car had taken the brunt of the force, and neither automobile looked like it would be driving away anytime soon. Tiny shards of metal and broken glass littered the road, and onlookers were starting to run over in confusion and panic, shouting for ambulances and police. A small line of cars had stopped in both directions, occasionally honking a horn or pulling away to find a detour. And in the middle of it all, Tendo’s shattered red dinosaur sat broken and alone, bleakly looking into a future that didn’t involve being driven ever again. 

“We were just in a car accident,” Newt muttered, and Tendo nodded distantly. “We just crashed a car.”

“My mom is going to murder me,” was Tendo’s only reply. 

Sirens wailed and someone told Tendo and Newt to come sit on their porch, away from all the wreckage. Numbly, they followed, and somehow ended up pressed together on the rickety steps of a stranger’s wooden porch. Someone draped a blanket over their shoulders and handed them cold glasses of water. Neither said a word.

“Tendo Choi?” 

Tendo blinked in confusion and tilted his head back to see who’d called his name. “Yeah?”

A thin woman stepped out of the house they were sitting in front of, smiling hesitantly. Her makeup was perfect and she had an athlete’s build, hair cropped short and clothes distinctly “business casual.” Newt had never seen her before in his life, but apparently Tendo had, because the corners of his mouth twitched and he waved a little.

“Karla. Hi.”

The woman—Karla—shook her head slightly. “Dietrich said someone had wrecked, but I never thought… You’ve gotten yourself into a mess, haven’t you?”

“Yeah,” he replied. She sighed and came to sit next to him, plucking the sweating glass of water from his hand and placing it gently on the dying grass. “It wasn’t my fault.”

“I can see that,” she laughed, and settled her attention on Newt. “Hello. I’m Karla. I’m a friend of Tendo’s from work.”

“You work at the coffee shop on Main Street?” Newt repeated, because there was no way this woman, who screamed “upper class,” would ever work in such a rundown place. The coffee shop was tiny, and dimly lit, and paid minimum wage to the college kids who worked there until they could get a better gig. No one with any semblance of other income or parental monetary support would be caught dead on their payroll.

“While I am working on my doctorate, yes,” she said, and he nodded. She didn’t really have any reason to lie about it. “This is quite a way to start a Tuesday morning, isn’t it?”

Tendo and Newt nodded once in sync.

Karla frowned worriedly. “Are either of you hungry?”

They shook their heads.

She didn’t buy it. Turning to the still-open door, she shouted, “Dietrich! Heat something up, would you?”

The voice that shouted in reply was not a voice Newt ever expected to hear outside of school. “Dietrich went to work. Bastien is at school. Have you forgotten your own brothers’ names?”

Karla laughed. It sounded like bells. “Oh, Hermann. I could never forget you.”

When Hermann replied, he was a lot closer. Newt almost dislocated his neck, trying to crane it backwards to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. He wasn’t. Hermann Gottlieb stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, wearing a sweater and jeans and those dumb reading glasses. He wasn’t wearing shoes.

“Hermann, lovely, would you please get some food for these poor children? A car hit them, there at the light. The poor things are starving.” She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and batted her eyelashes. Hermann rolled his eyes.

“The ambulance will pick them up in less than a minute, Karla. There’s no need to do anything but wait.” 

Newt really couldn’t help himself. “That’s harsh. I thought we were friends.”

Hermann fixed him with a look that could kill small animals. “You inserted yourself into my life. Friendship is mutual.”

“So what you’re saying is that we’re totally friends,” Newt shot back. Hermann sighed in exasperation and gave up. 

Newt was about to make another comment, possibly a snarky one, but was interrupted by the ambulance screeching up the block, effectively cutting off all non-digital forms of communication. It parked in front of the house, allowing a woman and a man to jump out with practiced efficiency.

“There’s my ride,” Newt shouted over the scream of the sirens, and dragged Tendo to the ambulance. 

XXXXX

Neither of them went to school that day, instead calling Newt’s dad to check them out of the hospital and retreating to the safety of Newt’s living room. Tendo continually scratched at his brand new cast, and Newt disapproved of the way his stitches pulled when he smiled. Other than a few minor abrasions and lacerations, they were both mostly fine.

The same could not be said for the Ford. It had been hauled from the scene of the accident and taken away to the great big carpark in the sky, never to return. The poor thing would be missed, may it rest in peace. Tendo was deep in mourning.

“I’m never going to be allowed to own another car,” he complained, spread-eagled on the beige carpet of Newt’s living room. Newt, who was sitting cross-legged next to him, patted his knee in sympathy. “My mom is going to murder me for killing it. It’s going to be first-degree filicide, but the judge will rule in her favor, because I deserve it.”

“Just think of other things,” Newt suggested. “Geometry. Lizards. Lava. The fact that you know Hermann Gottlieb’s sister.”

Tendo raised his head enough to glare at Newt. “Why is it weird that I know Karla?”

“I didn’t say it was weird,” Newt protested, but he totally thought it was. “I’m just wondering why you didn’t mention it to me before now.”

“You didn’t have a massive crush on the guy until now,” Tendo countered. Newt winced. Direct hit.

“Ouch, man. It’s not massive.”

“Huge.”

“Miniscule.”

“I can see it from space.”

“You need a microscope.”

“I have to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes from its radiance.”

“It’s not even noticeable.”

Tendo stared directly into Newt’s eyes, most likely doing that thing dogs do when trying to establish dominance. It worked. “Newt. You’re my brother, man. We’re about as close as two people can get without mind-melding. I know you. And I know when you’re in love with somebody.”

“I met him like three days ago,” Newt protested.

“Romeo and Juliet happened over three days,” Tendo said. Newt made a mental note to check the dosage on Tendo’s pain medication. It was possible that he’d taken too much.

“And six people died. That was a poor metaphor.”

“Whatever. Do you want me to give you advice on dating him or not?” Tendo rolled over onto his stomach, groaning the entire time. Newt picked at the skin by his thumbnail. There was no possible way this question could be answered without causing major damage to at least one aspect of his life. 

“What do you know about dating him?” he ventured, and Tendo grinned down at the carpet. Newt wondered when it was last vacuumed. 

“Karla’s been complaining about him for a while now. He’s totally emotionally stunted, apparently. He sucks at relationships. I may have picked up a few things.” 

Decision made, Newt nodded. He definitely wanted to know what Tendo was talking about.

“Okay,” Tendo said, voice muffled. “Here’s what you gotta do.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things I Know For Certain:  
> 1\. School lunches usually suck  
> 2\. The basketball team and cheerleaders never mix. Ever. And when they do, the consequences are dire.  
> 3\. You can actually accidentally start speaking another language and not notice until someone points it out.
> 
> There are probably a small handful of typos. I solemnly swear to fix them as soon as humanly possible.

Wednesday morning dawned cold and dreary, clouds chasing the last bit of heat from the Earth’s surface and ushering in a new era of winter. Newt decided to skip school, instead choosing to burrow deeper into his overabundance of blankets and ignore responsibility. After all, he was in a car crash yesterday. He had stitches and everything. He was allowed to skip a day or two after that.

Sadly, no one told his father that Newt had decided to become a recluse, and Tendo Choi came barging into the room with a cheerfulness that never should he been legal before noon, complete with obnoxious neon green shirt and pleasant grin. “Dude, you’re going to make us late. Again.”

“I’m not getting out of this bed unless you have a warrant for my arrest,” Newt replied. It was truly a testament to his impressive intellect that he managed to form a sentence that was not composed of mainly curses and grunts. “And you don’t.”

Tendo sighed. “No, but I do have a cup of coffee with your name on it.”

Newt squinted at him. He was indeed using his intact hand to clutch a styrofoam cup with Newt’s name scrawled in silver sharpie on the side. “You wrecked your only car yesterday and broke your arm in the process. How did you manage to get a cup of coffee from a place other than your house without driving to get it?”

“I didn’t,” Tendo replied easily, setting the coffee on Newt’s dresser and throwing open the curtains. Newt barely contained a rather Gollum-like hiss and ducked under the blankets. Who even gave the sun permission to rise this early? “I drove my mom’s car.”

“And she was okay with that?” Newt asked. He didn’t come out from under the blanket.

“Um.”

This, however, made him curious enough to poke his head into the cold air. He fumbled around for his glasses and settled his gaze on his blushing best friend. “You stole your mom’s car.”

“Actually, I borrowed it after telling her that I would make sure to pass my final exams and be on time for school every day in return. Much more legal.”

Newt groaned. “So, basically, you sold your soul for a minivan? One which you shouldn’t even be driving, on account of the broken arm?”

“Kinda. Now get out of bed before I use my license to kill for unethical reasons.”

XXXXX

School was, obviously, boring as hell. There was really no other way for school to exist. It was just the natural state of Pan-Pacific High to be utterly lacking in anything cool and exciting. The morning classes went by without anything more exciting happening than Chuck Hansen almost punching Raleigh Becket yet again over something completely asinine. Lunch, however, was a different story entirely.

The table usually occupied by the cheerleaders was in the furthest corner, right next to the windows and on the opposite side of the room from the basketball team. Though they practically lived in each other’s pockets after school and on the weekends, the two groups had an unspoken rule to never integrate unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, it seemed to have become necessary.

Newt nearly dropped his tray of cheap mashed potatoes and government-issued soup when he saw that someone had pushed two tables together and populated it with both basketball players and cheerleaders. It was as though someone had proved that the second law of thermodynamics was actually a lie and that butterflies were actually the superior race; impossible and deeply troubling. Maybe he really did get a concussion? 

“Newt, come sit down and tell Raleigh about the time we dropped you,” Sasha ordered, and Newt really could not refuse. He pulled up a plastic chair in between Sasha—who had donned a new pair of combat boots that were doing wonders for her height—and a terrified-looking Tendo, who was struggling to eat a partially burned hotdog with one hand.

“Which time?” he joked, but he was actually wondering exactly who had broken the truce and initiated first contact. “Last week?”

“Yes, that,” Sasha confirmed. 

“Um, there’s really not much to tell? I was trying to explain the math homework to Mako while they lifted me, and I got a little carried away about outliers or something, and toppled a little bit. Sadly, I kind of landed on my face,” he said, and stuck a plastic spork into his clump of mashed potatoes. The lunches were the only part of high school that made him question the decision to attend.

Raleigh had a little awed look in his eyes. “How high in the air were you?”

Newt’s brow furrowed. “I had one foot on Sasha’s shoulder and the other on Allison’s. Factoring in the floor mats and my poor balance, and averaging for their slight height difference, my center of gravity was about seven or eight feet up, give or take. Why?”

“Because you don’t look like someone who could fall seven feet and land on his face without sustaining major injury,” Raleigh said. Tendo choked on his hotdog.

“Should I be offended?” Newt asked. Raleigh shrugged.

“Knowing you, probably not,” Allison broke in, claiming the seat on the other side of Tendo. She smiled softly and brushed a lock of hair behind one ear, causing Tendo to blink and turn a shade redder. “Are those stitches?”

Newt frowned. “Uh, yeah. Car crash. No big deal.”

“No big deal?” Allison’s voice had gone up an octave. “What the hell happened? Is that why you weren’t here yesterday?”

“Where do you think the badass cast came from?” Tendo said, brandishing said cast. He dropped his hotdog and chose to ignore it in favor of raising an eyebrow and staring at Allison with a condescending, sarcastic expression. Exactly what emotion he was trying to convey, Newt did not know. 

“I assumed something stupid,” Sasha declared. Aleksis and Raleigh laughed. One of the Wei brothers, who had just sat down without hearing the beginning of the conversation, hummed in agreement. 

“Actually, this random guy drove straight through a red light and slammed into my poor car. We were lucky to walk away with our lives,” Tendo said. Newt rolled his eyes. Leave it to the president of the pep club to put an elaborate and extensive spin on things.

“You certainly didn’t walk far before collapsing onto the nearest stranger’s porch,” Hermann Gottlieb interjected, dropping gracelessly into the chair opposite Newt. His hair was mussed and he obviously didn’t care about how he looked, because his sweater _thing_ was downright awful. Even compared to Tendo, he looked slightly homeless and downtrodden. There were even dark circles under his eyes.

“That was because I had just broken my arm and was kind of shocked,” Tendo argued. Allison giggled and Hermann rolled his eyes. He didn’t have a tray of food. “I mean, I had just totaled my first car. It was a big moment in my life.”

“Yes, and I’m sure you’ll tell your therapist all about it when you’re forty,” Hermann said dryly, and Newt fell a little bit in love. Tendo, on the other hand, glowered.

“Whatever. It was still traumatic.”

A slightly tense silence settled over the adjoined tables. It was only broken when the other two Wei brothers sat down on either side of the one already present—and Newt _really_ had to work on telling them apart, wow—and Mako joined the group. Raleigh immediately struck up a conversation with her, and the Weis started arguing in rapid-fire Chinese about something Newt couldn’t manage to make out. Within thirty seconds, Sasha and Aleksis were sharing a pair of earbuds that were cranking out some sort of heavy metal so loud that Newt could hear the bass from a foot away. Tendo turned to Allison and tried out a few bad pickup lines.

That left Newt and Hermann to converse like normal human beings. 

“So,” Newt said awkwardly. “Are you going to be playing in the game Friday?”

He immediately wanted to punch himself in the mouth. Of course Hermann would be playing. Despite not being a starter, he was still one of the best players the Pan-Pacific High Jaegers were in possession of. Coach Hansen would never be dense enough to keep Hermann benched.

“Most likely,” Hermann replied sourly. “Though I’d rather be doing nearly anything else. Mapping the entire human genome would be more interesting.”

“Well, obviously!” Newt declared. “Genetics are the shit, man.”

The look on Hermann’s face was one of slight contempt. “Sadly, they are not my forte.”

“Dude, I love genetics. I can do a Punnett square with the best of them. Never say anything bad about genetics in front of me,” Newt said. A faint smile edged its way into Hermann’s expression and hung around the corners of his mouth. 

“I prefer physics and mathematics,” he said.

Newt shook his head. “I never could get into numbers. I mean, I understand them, and I usually actually go to class, but I don’t like them much. Too many rigid rules to follow.”

Hermann nodded. “I understand, but I do not agree.”

“Now, languages, those are fun. There are basically zero rules, and everything has an exception, and the key to learning is memorization. They really test your brain capacity to its limits sometimes. People who can fluently speak several are not to be messed with.” Newt hoped it wasn’t too early in the friendship to start gushing about linguistics. He wasn’t even good at other languages. He spoke German, sure, but he was still technically a German citizen and his dad only spoke broken English anyway, so he’d been raised with that. His Russian was conversational at best. He could also insult someone in Elvish, but that didn’t really count.

“Then I suppose I am not to be messed with,” Hermann replied.

“Is the entire team fluent in some other language?” Newt asked, both excited and disbelieving.

Hermann rolled his eyes again. Newt briefly worried about the possibility of him hurting himself. “Obviously, Aleksis speaks Russian, and the triplets speak Mandarin. Raleigh speaks some form of Japanese and a few words of Spanish. I speak German. The rest of the team, not so much.”

“You speak German?” Okay, either Newt really had sustained a concussion, or he was sitting right across from the man he was destined to be friends with, if not more. He tried very hard not to look overly enthusiastic.

“I am German. My family has dual citizenship.” Hermann said it like it was no big deal. Like, whatever, I’m the man of Newt’s dreams, no biggie. To Newt, it very much was a biggie. Possibly the biggest biggie since he’d found out about pre-microwaved popcorn.

“Dude. I was born in Berlin. We have the same country of origin. How cool is that?” Newt gushed. Hermann looked fairly skeptical, which, okay, Newt couldn’t blame him. Not many people could connect the over-energetic head cheerleader to the stereotypically angry country that was Germany. Tendo hadn’t believed it until he’d met Newt’s father, who at the time had spoken exactly twelve words of English and was relying on his crumbing marriage for a safe reason to stay in the states. A year later Monica left, and Newt’s poor father was forced to enroll in English classes and apply for citizenship. It didn’t help that they mainly spoke German at home.

“It’s an interesting coincidence, for sure,” Hermann allowed.

“No, it’s really cool. Just go with me on this. Plus, think of the experimental possibilities. I mean, we’re both kinda above average in the intellect department. Is it possible that being German has something to do with this? It can’t be just a coincidence.”

At that moment, Tendo broke in. “Do you realize that you’ve both been speaking a foreign language for the past five minutes?”

Newt blushed profusely. “Seriously? That’s weird.”

Tendo sighed. “Sometimes, I think you’re more trouble than you’re worth. I’m just lucky you’ve found someone else to jabber at for a while so that I can get some normal teenager stuff done.”

“Like what? Have a crappy job and drive your mom’s car? _Oh, wait.”_ If there was one thing Newt had learned in all his years, it was that the most effective way to cover a social faux pas was to get angry at the person pointing it out. 

“You’re going to get punched one of these days, Geiszler.”

“Yeah, and I’ll have my awesome cheerleader friends beat you up in return.”

“It would be worth it.”

They glared at each other wordlessly, Newt still embarrassed and Tendo utterly indifferent. Eventually, Newt decided to end the argument once and for all by saying the cruelest thing he could think of. 

“Just remember who saved your life by pulling you from the burning wreckage yesterday.”

Tendo’s jaw dropped a little, enraged. He probably would have actually leaped at Newt and proceeded to strangle him until death, if Hermann had not scoffed.

“Please. Your engine block was damaged. Fire was not likely.”

The tables were utterly silent. If a pin had been dropped, the sound would have been louder than the dribbling of a basketball on a tile floor. Sasha even paused her ear-damaging music to listen. Several people from other tables were leaning back in their chairs, probably hoping to see a full-fledged nerd fight.

Tendo blinked in pure horror. “Oh God. There are two of you. And one’s an even bigger asshole than the other.”

All at once the tension dissolved. Newt laughed hard enough that Mako sent him a worried glance. And like any pair of best friends, Newt and Tendo forgave each other by making flirty eye contact and fist-bumping like true gentlemen. 

Maybe mingling with the basketball team wouldn’t turn out to be a bad idea after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay plot! Stuff is happening!
> 
> I also want to apologize again for not including Hermann's disability. I promise I'm not ignoring it just because I'm an asshole. It'll come up, I promise, but in the meantime I'm going to continue to apologize. 
> 
> Also I'm really bad at saying things and I hope I'm not putting you off.

By Friday, Newt’s stitches didn’t hurt as much, and he felt pretty confident that he’d be able to participate in the game at least a little. Probably not to the full extent of his abilities, but he’d at least be able to clap and shout. And that was mainly what cheerleading was, anyway. The others could take care of the more showy aspects of their duties. 

Of course, going to a basketball game requires being actually awake for it, which was where Newt fell painfully short of predictions. He’d come home from school totally exhausted, barely able to make it to the couch before promptly collapsing onto it and losing consciousness. And he didn’t rejoin the world of the living until exactly five minutes before the game started, jolted into wakefulness by the frantic buzzing of his cell phone.

Newt scrambled, fell off the couch, and managed to answer the phone on the fourth try. “I’m late, I know, I’m coming!”

Tendo sounded smooth and unhurried. “Take your time. I was just calling to tell you that the game is being postponed for another hour.”

“What? Why?” Newt asked, working to untangle the blanket from his legs. He didn’t remember pulling it out of the closet. His dad must have draped it over him when he came home from work. What a nice gesture.

“Coach Hansen is busy with something. Pentecost just said that the coach had a medical thing to take care of, and left it at that. Allison says Mako doesn’t know anything either.” There was an unintelligible shout in the background, and Tendo groaned in exasperation. “Also, Allison says to bring her something from Bean There, Done That. Preferably something sweet and coffee-like.”

“On it,” Newt confirmed, and stood up. It was a shaky venture, almost ending in failure when the muscles in his back protested being straightened out after having been twisted up for so long. He winced and rubbed at his temple with his free hand. “Anybody else want anything?”

Newt could hear the crackle of a hand being pressed over the phone while Tendo shouted the question to the cheerleaders. Nearly ten seconds went by before anything was said. “Yeah, Mako says she wants a mocha iced coffee and Chuck Hansen wanted to know if you’d bring him some ibuprofen.”

“Coffees and ibuprofen, check. On my way.” Newt hung up without a goodbye. He and Tendo had simply reached that level of friendship. It was the same level that meant that they could have a conversation with nothing but facial expressions and were constantly at each other’s houses even though neither of them actually had a key. It was because of this friendship that Newt knew to bring an extra coffee for Tendo without being asked.

Luckily the little coffee shop wasn’t that far away, and Newt would be able to walk without much trouble. In a rare happenstance of foresight, he’d packed his duffel and left it by the door that morning, complete with everything he could possibly need at a basketball game. He slid his feet into his boots and grabbed a coat, tossing a quick “Bye, Dad!” over his shoulder before hurrying out into the cold.

He really didn’t mind walking. It was peaceful, especially during the hour between day and night, when everything was hushed and the temperature was hovering right around way-too-cold. He could focus on nothing but the rhythmic slap of his feet on the cracked sidewalk and look up at the few stars that shined through the light pollution. In a way, it almost made him sad. It was like everything was coming to a close on a day that would never happen again and didn’t really need to, in the great scheme of things. It also made him feel like he needed to walk a little quicker so he could reach Bean There, Done That before he lost all feeling in his fingers.

The town was small, containing one coffee shop, one rundown movie theater, a drive-in movie theater out on the outskirts, one diner, two schools, two gas stations, and a whole lot of nothing else. There were more cornfields than there were people and the only college was a half-hour away down the faded highway. It was a quiet place nestled in amongst hills and farmland, making it the perfect town in which to raise a family of children who would leave as soon as possible and only come back on the holidays. Newt loved it because it was small enough to be calm, but still big enough to have fun in if you tried hard enough. 

He had to wait a full two minutes for it to be safe to cross the road, what with everybody in town heading out to the game. Basketball was the one thing the entire town agreed upon; it was a good thing and they should all attend every single game, rain or shine, no matter what, unless life or limb would be lost in the process. This mindset had been ingrained into him from the moment he was five years old and moved to town. The only one not at the game was probably Newt’s dad, who thought basketball was basically pointless. 

Finally the cars stopped coming, and Newt was able to jaywalk his way to Bean There. It was overly warm and totally empty but for the lone barista tapping away on her phone.

She looked up briefly before holding up one finger, using the other hand to tap on the screen. Newt almost didn’t recognize her. Instead of her pencil skirt and fancy blouse, Karla was clad in a shabby apron and worn t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. Her entire concentration was on the screen of her phone.

“Hi,” Newt said, leaning heavily on the counter. Karla nodded once in acknowledgement. “What are you doing here? I would have thought you’d be at the game.”

“I will be,” she mumbled absently, totally fixated on whatever she was doing. “But I also have to work.”

“Makes sense,” he agreed. “What’cha playing?”

Instead of answering, Karla growled at her phone and dropped it onto the counter. She stared at it with total rage and a glint in her eyes that made Newt wonder exactly how long it would take for her to tear the phone apart with her bare hands. “Nothing now.”

He nodded sympathetically. “Can I have a two mocha iced coffees and one black to go?” 

“Sure,” she said, still rather grumpy. Newt lost interest while she turned and did a bunch of things with knobs and levers and suchlike. It all went way over his head. One of his favorite things in the world was to sit by the counter and watch Tendo make eight different coffees at once while still holding a conversation. Baristas were not people to mess with. 

“So, you on your way to the game?” Karla asked, tapping her fingers on one of the metal machines.

“Yeah. I was almost late, but it got postponed.”

“I heard about that. Apparently, something’s wrong with the coach.”

Newt shrugged. “Nobody really knows. I think it’s aliens.”

She snorted and covered her mouth with a hand to muffle the surprisingly violent giggles. Her bracelets clinked together when she did so. “Oh, so you’re one of _those_ people. I don’t know if I can still associate with you now.”

“Oh, come on!” Newt protested. “Aliens are totally real. I bet they’re really awesome, too.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if they tried to take over the world,” Karla said, and handed him a carrier containing one large cup of coffee and two smaller ones. “That’ll be five-fifty.”

He handed over the money and hefted his duffel a little higher on his shoulder. If he left immediately, he ought to have enough time to walk to the school and change and maybe chill with his friends for a little while. Hopefully the coffee wouldn’t freeze before he got there. 

“Thanks,” he said.

“Are you walking to the game?” she asked, already picking her phone back up. The game on the screen was unfamiliar to Newt, but he made a mental note to check it out later. Anything that could capture that level of attention and incite that much rage was a game he’d be willing to play. 

“Yeah. Can’t drive yet, and Tendo isn’t allowed to be anywhere near a car for the foreseeable future.”

“If you wait a minute or so, my brother could walk with you.” She glanced up long enough to raise one perfectly shaped eyebrow at him. Newt tried really hard not to blush. Was he that transparent? “I’m sure you’d like the company.”

“Um. Sure,” he replied intelligently, face heating. 

Karla nodded and turned to the back. “Hermann! You’ll be late if you don’t start walking now!” She flashed Newt a quick smile. “He’ll be right out.”

Newt accidentally took a drink of Tendo’s coffee to hide his embarrassment. Oh well. He probably would mind. Much.

Karla turned her attention back to her phone. Newt tapped his finger against his leg and watched the clock carefully. Sixteen seconds passed before the door to the Bean There office opened and Hermann made his entrance. 

“Have fun!” Karla shouted. Hermann rolled his eyes—he seemed to exist in a constant state of exasperation—and picked up his own duffel bag from behind the counter. He gestured toward the door, and Newt started walking. 

Outside, Newt’s breath made white clouds against the blackness of night. The sky was mostly overcast, and the yellow light of the streetlamps was all they had to light their way. They walked side by side for nearly a minute before either of them broke the winter-chilled silence.

“So, you looking forward to the game?” Newt asked. He really was mastering the art of saying stupid things in front of the people he liked. 

Hermann scowled. “No. I have a headache.”

“I have some ibuprofen, if you want it,” Newt offered. Chuck Hansen didn’t really need the whole bottle. And Newt knew what it was like to attend a basketball game with a migraine. The decibel level alone was enough to kill people. Especially if they won, which was most of the time. Their record was perfect so far, and the season was nearly over. Games were only getting louder.

“That would be wonderful,” Hermann replied. Newt grinned and slung his bag around so he could root through it while still walking. The little white bottle of pills had migrated to the bottom.

“Here,” Newt said, offering them. Then he remembered the last terrible romantic comedy he’d seen and made a split-second decision that would likely only end in failure and pain for all. When Hermann reached to take the bottle, Newt snatched it away. He hoped he looked confident and not like an asshole. “But, you only get them on one condition.”

Hermann raised one eyebrow in a perfect replica of his sister’s expression of total condescension and disdain. “And what would that be?”

Newt swallowed hard and leaped off the proverbial cliff. “You agree to go see a movie with me.”

Hermann just looked at him. “A movie.”

“Uh, yeah,” Newt said. The rational half of his brain shouted at him to _backpedal, backpedal you moron!_ Sadly, he’d never really listened to that half of his brain, instead choosing to side with the half that shouted at him to _do it, just do it, what’s the worst that could happen?_

“Are you asking me out on a date?” 

Oh shit. He’d never really established if Hermann was into anything but girls. Backpedaling seemed to be a really good idea.

“Um, well—”

“Yes.”

Newt blinked thrice in rapid succession. “I—what?”

The condescension was back in full force. “I agreed.”

“You did,” Newt said slowly. “My hypothesis was proved wrong.”

Hermann sighed heavily and started walking again. It took Newt a few seconds to remember that he actually had someplace to be in a few minutes and to start walking again. Hermann’s shoes made distinct tapping sounds against the sidewalk. Newt had to hurry to catch up.

“So when do you want to see that movie?” 

“Hopefully, after you give me the ibuprofen.”

Newt blushed and thrust it at Hermann somewhat awkwardly. “Oh, yeah! Here.” 

“Thank you.” Hermann dry swallowed the pills. That dude was hardcore.

“Anytime,” Newt replied. They walked on in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes Karla is playing Flappy Bird which I hate more than most things.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to formally apologize for the overall quality of this work and also thank you if you're still reading it. You're the best and I would like to give you a virtual hug. Unless you don't like hugs, in which case I would like to virtually wave at you and bounce around like an excited puppy. *backflips into the distance*

Newt spent the entire game lost in a haze of confusion and excitement. On one hand, hell yeah, a date with a cute boy who also happens to be really smart and athletic. But on the other, Newt was so socially inept that it physically hurt. He was always sticking his foot in his mouth. There were two settings in his brain: High Power and Really High Power. Hermann operated at a more Mild Power level. They probably wouldn’t work out. He should pull out now and apologize for everything, and then move to Mexico and change his name to Juan. Nobody would even know where he went. 

The first thing he did was corner Tendo as soon as the game was over and tell him everything. 

Tendo leaned against the gym wall and raised one eyebrow appraisingly when the word-vomit was over. “So you basically blackmailed him into dating you. I’m not sure if you’re an asshole or if you’re just that smooth.”

Newt groaned. “Don’t be like that. I need your help.”

“Yeah, you really do,” Tendo agreed heartily, and narrowly dodged Newt’s fist. The punch was only half playful. Tendo held up both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, calm down. It’s not the end of the world. He said yes, didn’t he? That’s a good sign.”

“Is it?”

“Obviously. Don’t be thick, my amphibian friend. Yes is a good sign. It means he either really wants to date you, or he was just willing to sacrifice a few hours of his time in return for medication. Both indicate that he doesn’t mind spending time with you.”

“You’re forgetting something of vital importance, here,” Newt said. 

“Which is?”

“I have no idea how to relationship!”

Tendo blinked. “You just used a noun as a verb.”

“Focus!” Newt ordered. He ran his fingers through his hair and took several deep breaths, counting to seven on the inhale and eleven on the exhale. Tendo crossed his arms and waited patiently for Newt to calm himself down, saying nothing as the steady stream of people swept past them and the gym emptied out. Half a minute later, Newt managed to form sentences again. “Please. You’re pretty good at relationships. Help.”

“Didn’t I already give you advice on how to date Hermann?” Tendo asked. “The day of the car crash, we sat on your living room floor and I told you what to do. Do you remember any of that?”

Newt nodded. “Sure. You said to be his friend first, and then casually drop a few hints here and there until he got the picture. I think that plan is out the window.”

“You’re terrible at following instructions,” Tendo agreed. “It’s like I tell you to do something and you do the opposite. If I told you not to do something, you’d wait until I was out of earshot and immediately do it anyway. You’re like a bad puppy.”

Newt shuffled his feet and sighed heavily. “What am I going to do?”

When Tendo replied, he was using his Important Instructions Voice. “Karla said Hermann sucks at relationships too, so you should be pretty evenly matched. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do and you’ll be fine.”

“Tendo,” Newt said slowly. “You’d do literally anything.”

Tendo frowned. “Then don’t do anything Raleigh Becket wouldn’t do. He’s a nice dude.”

“Okay. I can do that,” Newt said. “Maybe everything will be okay?”

Tendo nodded with finality. “Yes. You’ll be fine, brother. He’s totally hot for you.”

Okay, that was unexpected. “What?”

“You haven’t noticed. Oh man, you’re thicker than I thought.” Tendo shook his head sadly, as if mourning the death Newt’s social abilities. If Tendo wasn’t careful, he was going to get beat up by a mob of disgruntled cheerleaders. 

“What haven’t I noticed?” Newt asked, nervously fiddling with the zipper on his dark blue tracksuit. The wall behind Tendo’s head was in desperate need of a cleaning. The lights in the hallway were buzzing painfully loud. The hordes of people leaving the school were too close and too noisy. Everything was getting so out of hand. “What’s going on?”

“Newt, my man, you are probably the dumbest genius I’ve ever met. Hermann’s been crushing on you for a while now.” Tendo spoke slowly, carefully, as if explaining to a preschooler why the square peg can’t go in the round hole. Then he leaned back and watched Newt with narrowed eyes, as if waiting for some sort of nuclear fallout.

“Impossible,” was the first word out of Newt’s mouth. “You’re just being a dick.”

“Nope,” Tendo replied. “I’ve seen the way he glances over at the cheerleaders constantly when you’re all practicing at the same time. At first I thought it was the girls, but then I looked closer. He was watching _you. _”__

__“I think you’re mistaken,” Newt insisted. No way anyone as cool as Hermann could possibly want to be with someone like Newt. It just didn’t happen._ _

__“He thinks you’re cute,” Tendo went on. “But there weren’t any actual feelings there until recently. I think it might have happened at Robotics Club. You proved that you aren’t just a pretty face. You’re also an annoying scientist who is scarily bendy.”_ _

__“You think he likes me because I’m bendy?”_ _

__Tendo laughed and slung an arm around Newt’s shoulder. He began to walk toward the parking lot, dragging his friend with him. “Oh, poor Newton. Unable to realize that smoking hot boys can actually like you.”_ _

__“I just don’t want to screw anything up monumentally,” Newt said._ _

__“I won’t lie, it’s a possibility. But look on the bright side. If all else fails, you can talk about basketball.”_ _

__“Shut up.”_ _

__“One day you’ll thank me.”_ _

__XXXXX_ _

__Newt managed to make it home without harming himself or freezing to death, which was a feat all in itself. He also managed to silently slip into the house without waking his father. He almost made it up that stairs, too, and probably would have if it weren’t for his meddling cell phone._ _

__He nearly fell down the stairs trying to wrestle it from his pocket before the ringtone could wake up the entire neighborhood. “What?” he hissed, trying to keep quiet. His father was not a happy person when roused at ungodly hours of the night._ _

__“Newt,” Tendo said. “Awesome.”_ _

__“What do you want now?” Newt whispered angrily._ _

__“To tell you that Karla told me that Hermann told her to tell me to tell you to call him. I’m also supposed to give you his number.”_ _

__“I didn’t follow any of that and you know it.”_ _

__Tendo sighed in exasperation, the phone making a crinkly sound. “Okay. I stopped at Bean There to pick up my paycheck. Karla was closing up, and told me that Hermann wanted to give you his phone number, but you left before he could. She gave me his phone number. I’m supposed to give it to you. Got it?”_ _

__“Yeah. But why are you telling me this now? It’s nighttime.” Newt resumed his walk up the stairs, carefully avoiding the ones that squeaked and keeping a lookout for his evil cat who enjoyed tripping him when he was walking up the stairs in the dark._ _

__“Because you’re broke and tomorrow is dollar day at the movie theater,” Tendo replied. He then proceeded to rattle off a list of numbers—in Mandarin Chinese—and hang up without another word. Newt rolled his eyes. Tendo was always trying to find new ways to force Newt to admit he wasn’t actually that smart. Sadly, he was destined to fail this time, as Newt knew exactly nine words of Mandarin, all of which were numbers. He could probably recall which ones were which if he concentrated. Probably._ _

__When he finally reached the relative safety of his bedroom, he dumped his duffle bag onto the futon and scribbled the numbers down on a napkin. A glance at the clock told him that it probably wasn’t too late to call. Plus, his dad’s room was downstairs. Newt’s conversation shouldn’t wake him up._ _

__The phone rang three times before anyone answered. “Hello?”_ _

__It appeared that Newt had dialed the correct number after all. “Hi.”_ _

__There was an uncomfortable beat of silence. Newt really hated talking on the phone. It was always so awkward._ _

__“Newton?”_ _

__“Uh. Yeah. Hi.” Dammit._ _

__“I presume you had a reason for calling?”_ _

__The cogs in Newt’s brain started turning again. “Oh! Yeah, I did. Um, that movie we were going to go see. I was thinking, if you aren’t busy, we could do that tomorrow? I mean, there’s really nothing good playing, but we could still…?”_ _

__“Certainly. I have nothing going on.” How did he manage to sound so unruffled by everything?_ _

__“Cool. Um. See you at the theater? I mean, I would pick you up, but I can’t actually drive because I never actually learned how. I was busy at the time. I should really get on that at some point.” Newt stopped and forcibly got back on track. He held the Olympic gold medal in rambling. “Anyway. Eight?”_ _

__“Eight,” Hermann agreed. Someone in the background shouted something in German. Hermann sighed. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”_ _

__“Okay. See you tomorrow,” Newt said._ _

__“Goodbye,” Hermann said, and hung up._ _

__Newt clutched the phone to his chest and flopped backwards onto the bed. He had a date. A date with a real, living person. Wow._ _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all be real here and admit that Newt is totally the type of person who clicks the Random Article button on Wikipedia and spends his entire day reading Wiki articles about literally anything and everything. Can we just agree on that because I feel like that's something we should be able to agree upon.
> 
> Also, sorry I missed a week. I was incredibly busy and also more than a little bit ill, but luckily I'm mostly better and have free time now. Apologies for that. I would also like to say that I can't write cute stuff, so forgive me on that front. I tried. It's not my fault my specialty is pain and sadness.

Newt ended up unable to sleep, which wasn’t really out of the ordinary, but was unwelcome all the same. He tossed and turned for hours on end, mentally outlining each and every way tomorrow could go wrong. The possibilities were endless, infinite, and included everything from freak onset of influenza to alien abduction. The chances that things could go off without a hitch were one in a trillion. Sleep was impossible.

But Newt was used to sleep deprivation, and dragged himself from the warm embrace of his bed ten minutes before sunrise with deep purple half-moons under his eyes and a grim outlook. After nearly dying in a stair-related incident, he sat on the back porch and watched the sun grace the world with its presence and listened to the birds chirp while he drank his way through an entire pot of coffee. Tendo would be horrified at Newt for drinking coffee from somewhere other than Bean There, Done That, but Newt resolved not to tell him and drink it anyway. If he didn’t get caffeine somehow, he would probably spontaneously combust. And nobody wanted that.

When the sun was exactly three centimeters above the horizon, Newt went back inside and sat at the kitchen table, one hand absently stroking his cat while the other tapped a slow rhythm on the worn wood. It was far too early to be conscious, but he couldn’t shake the energy that was pent up inside his entire body. His heart was beating much faster than it should have been. His face was flushed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hold still for more than ten seconds before his leg started tapping on the floor, or he started tracing the scratches on the table, or biting his bottom lip. 

“Newt?”

Newt jumped, startling the cat and nearly upsetting the coffee mug on the edge of the table. He hadn’t even heard his dad get up. “Yeah. Morning.”

“What on God’s green earth are you doing up?” his dad asked, one eyebrow raised. New shrugged and his dad sighed heavily. “How many pots of coffee have you made?”

“Just the one,” Newt replied. “I put another on for when you woke up. Sorry.”

His dad shook his head in exasperation and sat down opposite Newt, eyes on yesterday’s newspaper. He usually read it several times over, so that he could fully understand it. English was still not his dad’s strong suit. “You take your meds?”

“Not yet. I will when I go back upstairs,” Newt said. His dad nodded distantly and didn’t continue the conversation. As much as Newt loved his dad, he sometimes wished the man were a bit more talkative. On mornings when he hadn’t slept much the night before, all he wanted was a good, rousing conversation or argument to wake himself up. His dad wasn’t really good at arguing. Mostly, Newt won within ten minutes. 

“I have a date tonight,” Newt said offhand. 

His dad grunted and asked, “What’s their name?”

“His name is Hermann Gottlieb. He’s a basketball player,” Newt replied. 

“Gottlieb is the name of the girl down at the coffee place. Are they related?”

“Yeah. Whole family of Germans living right in town. Who would have known?”

“Yes, because Germans don’t ever live in America. It’s unheard of.” His dad rolled his eyes, leaving Newt to sputter in confusion. The only one who ever made jokes in this house was Newt himself. His dad hadn’t made a joke since his mom left years ago. It truly was a special day.

“We’re going to see a movie tonight. I should be home by midnight, but you never know. Tendo might need me for something at three in the morning again,” Newt said. His dad nodded understandingly. It wasn’t unusual for Tendo to call—or just show up—in the middle of the night with a convoluted story and an intense excitement. 

“Just call before you do anything crazy,” his dad said, before standing up and taking the newspaper with him into the garage. The garage was the one place Newt’s science had touched. His father often retreated there when he knew Newt would be having a more hectic day. Newt followed the example and left the kitchen, making for his bedroom and his computer. 

After nearly two hours of browsing scientific journals, Newt finally emerged again to take a quick shower. He made sure to take his medication and brush his teeth thoroughly. This was not a good day to be keyed up and unkempt. 

The phone startled him when it rang. It wasn’t until his toothbrush hit the floor with a clatter that he even realized what the high, trilling sound was. The ringtone sounded three times before he answered. “I’m a little bit busy at the moment, Tendo.”

“Hear me out, brother,” Tendo protested. “Brush your teeth or whatever, and I’ll talk.”

Newt bent to pick up his toothbrush and rinse it off. “I don’t know how you knew I was brushing my teeth right now, but you should know that I’m going to start showering with the blinds closed from now on.”

“Oh, don’t be that way!” Tendo pouted. “I was just making an educated guess. I figured you wouldn’t be able to sleep, and when you don’t sleep, you shower at about eight o’clock. I timed the call so that you wouldn’t be wet and naked while talking to me.”

“That’s disturbing, but thoughtful,” Newt said. “Talk.”

Tendo cleared his throat and the sound of his knuckles cracking could be heard clearly. He waited exactly three seconds before speaking in a low, dramatic voice. “Tonight, the movie theater is showing Godzilla.”

Newt almost dropped the toothbrush again. “No way.”

“Yep. And I may or may not have called ahead and reserved two tickets. Actually, I reserved four, because I’m taking Allison to see it too, but I’ll be way on the other side of the theater so you don’t have to watch me totally get it on with your friend.”

“Yet again, both disturbing and thoughtful.”

“My two favorite adjectives, baby. Gotta dash. Fax me or something,” Tendo half-shouted, and hung up. Newt sighed and shook his head fondly, finally giving up on brushing his teeth properly. He’d probably just be interrupted again. After all, anything could happen. Maybe aliens would attack. Or Atlantians. Or a race of aliens that had lived underwater for centuries, biding their time until they could successfully rise and overtake the globe. Life-ruining things tended to happen on days when everything was supposed to be running smoothly. 

“I’m going crazy,” Newt told his reflection, and retreated back into his room. Studying should help calm his nerves a bit.

XXXXX

Six o’clock rolled around with frightening efficiency. It felt like only ten minutes, or maybe a half hour at the outside. One second Newt was opening his brand new chemistry textbook, and the next he was closing it again after having skimmed his way through the entire thing. Time really did fly when you were occupied.

He stood carefully, stretching his joints one by one so as to not hurt himself when he unfolded his limbs after having been sitting for such a long time. He really should have gotten up and moved around once or twice in the past few hours, but he’d rather out of it. Tendo would classify today as “One of those days Newt just totally checks out and reads textbooks instead of chilling with his bestie.” Newt had to admit, it was fairly apt. 

He sighed and decided to go ahead and leave the house, planning on swinging by Bean There to visit Tendo and continue furthering his caffeine addiction. The only problem with that was that Hermann might be there with Karla, and Newt didn’t feel like adding “awkward” to the growing list of words he could use to describe his day so far. 

The only thing to do was to call Tendo.

“Tendo Choi, and before you ask, I am indeed at work right now,” Tendo said without greeting. “You have approximately ten seconds before my boss starts giving me nasty looks.”

“Is Karla working today?” Newt asked.

“Nope. She’s at home, angrily tweeting at her brother Dietrich. I’m watching it unfold as we speak. It’s a very interesting way to study the vanities of humanity. If only I spoke German.”

Newt ignored everything but the important information. “So if I showed up right now, there wouldn’t be a single Gottlieb on the premises?” 

“Not a single one,” Tendo confirmed. “By which I mean, get your ass down here pronto before I go completely nuts. Working in a coffee shop is stressful.”

Newt laughed, already pulling on his coat. A quick glance outside told him to grab some gloves, too; snow was freckling the sky and the trees were bowing with the wind. It was shaping up to be another whirlwind night of winter weather. At the rate it was falling, snow would be an inch thick on the ground by the time he even got outside. “I’m coming. Make me something caffeinated.”

Tendo tsked. “If you keep drinking coffee, you’ll go into cardiac arrest and die.”

“And then you can have my stuff. It’s a win-win.”

“Whatever. I’m selling your computer on eBay.”

“You won’t get much. It’s kind of broken.”

“I’m pretty sure you exist purely to torment me.”

“It’s my only purpose in life.”

XXXXX

The second Newt entered the coffee shop, Tendo was upon him, thrusting a steaming beverage into his hands and tossing his yellow apron over his shoulder, shouting to the other barista that he was going on break. He then gripped Newt by the wrist and pulled him into a table in the corner, his back to the counter, eyes wild.

“So guess what.”

Newt sighed and blew on his coffee. “If it’s illegal, I don’t want to know.”

“Not even close, dude.” Tendo leaned forward and lowered his voice into a conspiratorial whisper. “I just had my mind blown.”

“For the last time, Tendo, glitter is not a viable fashion choice,” Newt deadpanned. “I don’t care how many times the Project Runway people tell you it is. It isn’t.”

“No, dumbass. I just learned that our school principal and basketball coach fought together in a war.” Tendo sat back, crossed his arms over his chest, and looked smug. Newt blinked at him in disbelief.

“Who says?” he asked, sipping at his coffee. It was a little too strong for his taste, but still worth drinking. Plus, Tendo would be offended if he threw it out, and Tendo when offended was not a fun thing to deal with. 

“Mako was in here a second ago. She told me everything. Apparently, the other veterans have been getting sick lately because of radiation or something, and Stacker and Herc had to go get checked out too. She says Herc is probably fine, but Pentecost has to go back for further tests.”

“That’s why Coach Hansen ran out in the middle of class last week,” Newt said. “Now it makes sense.”

Tendo nodded, pleased with himself. Then he glanced at his watch and glowered, eyebrows drawing together and mouth settling into a firm frown. His break was already halfway over, and, knowing Tendo, he was nowhere near done talking. Newt braced himself for the inevitable speed-talking and angry hand gestures. Tendo was usually prone to babbling, but when he had a limited amount of time to babble in, he went from a seven to a ten on the scale of crazy. And he sometimes started speaking other languages. 

“Anyway, I have about five minutes to myself before I’m back behind the counter making coffees for the masses. Anything pressing we absolutely have to talk about before then?” Tendo asked.

Newt shrugged. “Not really. I’m thinking about skipping town again this summer. Maybe head on over to Nevada or something.”

Tendo nodded contemplatively. “Isn’t that where you went last time you ran away?”

“No, that was Arizona. Completely different.”

“Well, just make sure to clear it with your dad this time. Last time, he kept calling me because he thought I kidnapped you or something,” Tendo said. He sighed. “And keep your phone on. I get lonely when you’re gone.”

“I have like six months to think about it,” Newt assured him. “It’s not like I’m going to pick up and run off into the sunset right this second.”

“You never know, with you,” Tendo muttered, and stood up. He bent backwards until his back popped satisfyingly, inadvertently drawing the attention of the three teenage girls sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room. Newt shook his head fondly. Tendo had a minor habit of stealing hearts wherever he went. 

“Break time over?” Newt asked.

Tendo nodded forlornly. “Sadly. Don’t get me wrong, I love this job, but I also hate it a lot.”

“Just keep smiling. It won’t last forever.”

“Whatever. Go be a motivational speaker somewhere else. I’m done at seven-thirty.” Tendo sauntered away, deftly pulling his apron over his head in a way that made the group of girls in the corner swoon visibly. Newt rolled his eyes. Leave it to Tendo to make a simple action appear somewhat attractive. 

Newt pulled out his phone and settled in for a long Wikipedia browsing session.

XXXXX

Seven-thirty came quickly. Tendo cheered when his cell phone alarm trilled to remind him that his shift was over, and he was clocked out in record time. Newt watched him bid his coworkers farewell with exasperation and slight secondhand embarrassment. Tendo was the literal human incarnation of an excitable puppy; bubbly and bouncy, but frighteningly intense when something interesting was involved. 

“Are you emotionally prepared for this?” Tendo asked as they left, shrugging into jackets and pulling hats down tight over their ears. The snow on the ground was nearly two inches thick, and Newt was pleased with himself for remembering to wear adequate footwear. 

“Probably,” Newt replied, resisting the urge to catch a snowflake with his tongue.

“Remember: if all else fails, basketball is a perfectly good topic of conversation.”

Newt laughed. “Tendo, we both loathe basketball.”

“Yes, and I loathe wire malfunctions, but I still talk about them to the tech support people when it happens,” Tendo said. He turned so that he was walking backwards, bringing him face-to-face with Newt and aiding in his argument abilities. 

“You and I both know that you never call tech support. Tech support calls you.” Tendo smirked proudly, but the expression was quickly wiped from his face when he accidentally stepped off the curb and fell, free arm flailing, and knocked his head against the concrete. He sat there on the side of the road for a second, blinking and frowning, while Newt choked on his own saliva in an effort to stifle his laughter. 

“I’ve made a grievous mistake,” Tendo said distantly.

Newt’s resolution broke and he had to bend over, he was laughing so hard. “You’re so graceful, man. Holy shit. I wish I had my camera,” he said through the giggles that racked his entire body.

Tendo frowned deeply and sat up, wincing. “I think I broke my arm.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’re already in a cast,” Newt quipped, reaching down a hand to help his friend to his feet. Tendo accepted and stood shakily, bending his unbroken arm carefully as though making sure it was still intact.

“I knew I should have taken some time off,” Tendo muttered, and started walking again. Newt hurried to catch up, still shaking with laughter. “Now my butt is wet. Stupid snow.”

“It’s your fault for walking off a curb,” Newt said. Tendo grumbled something angrily under his breath and stomped on, leaving Newt to trail behind him like a private following an angry sergeant. There was snow on the back of Tendo’s jacket, but Newt didn’t feel like risking life and limb to brush it off. “Anyway, we’re like a block away from the theater. You won’t freeze to death.”

“I might. I’m very delicate,” Tendo sniffed. Newt didn’t really know how to respond to that. He decided to say nothing and hold the door open for Tendo when they finally arrived at the theater. Inside, it smelled of popcorn and must. The line for concessions was short and the ticket line was nonexistent. The two bored college students working the counters were bored and close to dozing off, already talking about heading to the break room as soon as the last movie of the night started. All in all, it was a typical small town movie theater with overpriced candy and sagging chairs for its customers to sit in while they watched semi-blurry, too-loud movies that came out weeks ago. Newt loved it.

“There you are!” Allison called from across the room. She was perched on the edge of a worn leather bench, hair in a bun and t-shirt proudly proclaiming that she was allergic to stupidity. Next to her, Hermann sat with his arms crossed defensively, surveying the room with wariness and tense limbs. He looked ready to bolt at any second.

“Here we are,” Tendo echoed, already cheering up. “And here we go,” he finished, taking Allison by the hand and leading her into the theater, leaving Newt and Hermann to stare at each other awkwardly.

“So. Have you seen Godzilla before?” Newt asked, gesturing for Hermann to walk with him. 

“I’ve seen the beginning and the end, but not the majority to the middle,” Hermann replied. The theater was dark and mainly empty. Newt chose seats on the left side toward the back, mainly because he knew Tendo would be sitting on the right and in the front. 

“Well, at least you’ve seen some of it. You’re not totally uncultured,” Newt whispered, and Hermann snorted in derision.

“No, but if this is your idea of cultured, then I’m fearing that you may be.”

“Harsh, man,” Newt snickered as the lights dimmed. So far, so good.

XXXXX

Halfway through the movie, Newt was nearly given a heart attack when his hand was grabbed. He managed to restrain himself from pulling away long enough to calm down and realize that he was on a _date_ and that hand-holding typically happened on dates. Then the calm evaporated because _holy shit he’s holding my hand what do I do._ Under normal circumstances, Newt would have immediately texted Tendo for help. Sadly, Tendo was probably a little bit otherwise occupied.

Newt decided to go with it and hope his palms weren’t too sweaty. A quick glance at Hermann didn’t help at all; his face was utterly smooth and unbetraying of any emotion. He was totally not bothered.

Well. That must be a good sign. Probably.

XXXXX

When the lights came back on and everyone stood to exit, the hand-holding continued. Newt braced himself for the inevitable letting go, but it didn’t come. Instead Hermann made some comment about hoping the snow had let up and simply walked out, fingers still twined with Newt’s. Newt tried not to grin too much.

In the lobby, Tendo and Allison were firmly attached as well, though it was by the face instead of by hand. Newt dropped his eyes to the floor rather quickly. Nothing kills the mood like accidentally witnessing your best friend making out with one of your other best friends. Good thing the two employees had gone somewhere else. Lucky.

“So, did you hate it entirely?” Newt asked nervously.

Hermann shrugged. “Not entirely. I’d give it a seven out of ten.”

“That’s good.” Newt internally breathed a sigh of relief. Hating Godzilla was definitely a deal-breaker. Then again, so was having a completely abrasive personality and communicating mainly through arguments and glares, but here they were.

Hermann smiled softly, and Newt had to remind himself to breathe. He was just so unfairly attractive. High cheekbones, dark lashes, pale skin. And when he smiled, everything else paled in comparison. If Newt didn’t kiss him right then and there, he would spontaneously combust.

So, he did.

It was awkward at first, all fumbling and teeth, but after the initial surprise, it got so much better. Their lips fit together perfectly, arms looping around waists and bodies pressing together without a thought. Hermann tasted like coffee and mint, and Newt thought that he could get completely lost right in that moment and never return. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but was about as close as Newt could imagine getting.

They broke apart when Tendo whooped happily.

“Get a room!” he shouted, and Allison smacked him on the arm lightheartedly. Newt quickly pulled back, arms dropping to his sides and face turning a brilliant shade of red. Hermann did likewise, though his glare was much more intense.

“Leave them alone,” Allison scolded. “You’re being hypocritical.”

Tendo rolled his eyes. “Whatever. We’ll be outside when you two want to emerge.”

They left laughing happily, leaving Newt and Hermann to stare at each other some more. Newt cleared his throat. “So. I’ll call you?”

“You had better,” Hermann replied resolutely, and Newt fell a little bit more in love.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Sorry for missing yet another week! This week was testing week and I didn't have time to breathe, let alone actually enjoy myself. But I'm back (in black) now shall continue to post regularly. Hopefully.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for sticking with me. Also, look, plot ahead!
> 
> And does anybody know how old Newt was when his mom left? Because I couldn't find it in the book and my friend is borrowing the DVD so I couldn't check there. For now, let's just say he was about eight or nine. 
> 
> That is all. Kirk out.

Newt walked home in a haze of happiness and the pleasant aftereffects of a date gone well. Hermann liked him back. The anxiety and dread drained away, leaving behind a sense of calm that was unparalleled and probably never to be repeated. Newt felt like he was walking on clouds, gazing up at the stars, close enough to touch but still far too hot to try. Nothing could possibly bring him down.

His father’s car was still in the driveway when Newt made his way to the front door, carefully avoiding snowdrifts and the patches of earth he knew were uneven. The light was on inside, and the door unlocked. That was probably the first sign that something was wrong.

“Dad?” Newt called when he shut the door behind him. He hung up his coat and left his boots in a puddle of melted snow by the door, padding through the house in only his socks. Everything was quiet and still, perfectly undisturbed, exactly the way he’d left it that afternoon. The neatness boded ill.

“Kitchen,” his dad called back after an agonizingly silent minute. Newt breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Of course nothing was really awry. He was just being melodramatic. 

Newt leaned against the doorframe. His dad was bent over the counter, brow furrowed as he scanned a cookbook. Newt shook his head, both fond and exasperated. Leave it to his father to select the only English cookbook they owned, instead of one of the five German ones. And since when did his dad cook, anyway?

“You’re cooking?” Newt asked.

“Trying,” his dad replied distractedly, running a finger across the faded print. “How did your date go?”

“Pretty good, actually. I’m supposed to call him sometime. We’ll probably go out again,” Newt said. His dad turned to smile at him.

“Congratulations. I’m glad.”

Newt frowned. Something was off. His dad was not usually so talkative. On any other day, Newt would have come home, checked to be sure his dad was still alive, and been shooed away while his dad worked on something in the garage, or possibly been told to make sure he remembered to do his homework and take his medication before bed. An actual conversation was somewhat rare.

Newt knew his dad loved him and tried his best, but he wasn’t very good at emoting. When Newt’s mom left, his dad had had a hard time adjusting to life as a single father in a foreign country. That would be hard on anyone. Newt wasn’t bitter toward him.

“Are you alright?” Newt asked, concerned.

His dad shrugged. “Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

A sigh. “Your mother called.”

Well. That explained it.

“What did she have to say?” Newt asked. His mom called about twice a year; once on Christmas and once on Newt’s birthday. Sometimes she called to say that she would be touring near them and that they should come visit, but other than that, she was the definition of an absentee mother. And since Christmas had passed and it was not yet anyone’s birthday, the latter seemed the only explanation. 

“One of her friends was in an accident and they had to cancel their tour. She’s coming here to visit while she’s not busy,” Newt’s dad relayed, and went back to his cookbook.

Newt blinked in shock. He hadn’t seen his mother in nearly eight years. He hadn’t thought she actually still cared about them. And how could she? She’s walked out on them eight years ago and mailed the divorce papers a week later. After that, she hadn’t even made an effort to be a part of their lives. And she was just going to waltz right back in? Hell to the no. She didn’t get to just leave and only be a mom on her own terms. Newt was suddenly furious. Eight years she’d been gone. Eight years of nothing but radio silence. No way she was going to traipse happily back into their lives for a week and then leave again. Because that’s exactly what she’d do, and he knew it. 

Newt retreated into his room to call Tendo.

“Yes, my dearest Doctor Geiszler?” Tendo said without prelude. The sounds of children arguing filled the background.

“My mom is coming to visit.”

Tendo whistled. “That’s a new development. Why does she suddenly care?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now. What the hell do I do?” Newt sat heavily on his bed, forehead on the hand that wasn’t clutching the phone with a white-knuckled deathgrip. “I mean, I can’t just be cool with it. She left us. That’s not something you can forget.”

Newt could practically hear Tendo nodding. “Well, I would be civil, but not friendly. Like, ‘Hey, Monica, lovely weather we’re having,’ but no actual deep conversation. Answer her questions but don’t go into depth. That’s what my cousins do when their dad brings his new girlfriend to Thanksgiving.”

“That makes sense, I guess,” Newt mumbled. 

“Would you shut up?” Tendo shouted angrily. “Not you, Newt. I’m babysitting the children from hell.”

“I didn’t know you babysat,” Newt said, eager to latch onto the sudden change of subject. He really couldn’t focus on his mom for much longer without having a minor nervous breakdown. Or possibly hitting something. You never really knew with Newt.

“I don’t,” Tendo insisted. “My neighbor offered me twenty bucks if I watched his demon children while he went on a date. I needed the money.”

In the background, a child shrieked shrilly and Tendo snapped at them to be quiet while he was on the phone.

“Help me out here, man. I can’t do this alone,” Tendo pleaded.

Newt tried not to laugh. “Okay, how old are the kids?”

“One is nine and the other is six. Both girls,” Tendo said. The sounds of children shouting faded away to a low cacophony in the distance. “I’m currently hiding in the bathroom. You have to save me.”

“I suggest making chicken nuggets and putting on a Disney movie. Preferably not one of the sadder ones. Kids don’t like it when their beloved characters die horrible deaths.” Newt leaned against the headboard and listened to the shouts over the phone.

“Hey, I’m going to make chicken nuggets, and then we’ll watch a movie,” Tendo shouted desperately, reminiscent of a death row inmate bargaining for ten more minutes. The little girls shrieked happily and Tendo whispered, “Dude, I owe you one. Whatever you want, I got you.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Newt replied. “Now have fun with the kids!”

“Thanks, brother,” Tendo said, and hung up. Newt tossed the phone onto the bed without really looking to see where it landed. It didn’t really matter, after all. He and Tendo could fix almost any broken electronic device. It was really a wonder they hadn’t tried to build a death ray yet. 

It was nearly eleven o’clock. Newt should probably sleep at some point. He hadn’t really done very well in that department last night. A long night of unconsciousness could do him good. 

Sadly, he wouldn’t get to go to sleep just yet. His phone had other ideas. It buzzed at him insistently four times before he managed to force himself to answer. “Tendo, I told you, just make food and watch a movie.”

“Sorry, love, I think you have me confused with someone else.”

Newt stopped and pulled the phone away from his ear. He stared dumbly at the little display on the screen, proudly proclaiming that Monica Schwartz was calling him. Shit.

“Sorry,” he said distantly. What could he say? What could he do? Newt was not the best at dealing with emotions. Of all the things he could put in his resume, being emotionally stable and competent was not one of them. He usually worked his feelings out by doing science, or talking to Tendo, or violently drinking an entire pot of coffee. Talking? Nope.

“It’s fine, sweetheart. Tendo was your friend’s name, wasn’t it?” Monica said. Her voice was light and airy, as always, musical and lilting. The way she talked drew you in, made you want to know more about her, enticed you to ask where her accent was from or what she did for a living. It made you want to get closer to her and promised that she would enjoy your company, if only for a little while. That voice was the voice his father had fallen in love with. That voice was all Newt had of his mother for the last eight years. 

“Yeah, it is,” Newt said. Answer her questions. Be polite and civil. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m wonderful. The weather in Sweden is lovely and the people here are just so hospitable.” Newt could hear the pleasant grin on his mother’s face. She was a venus flytrap, drawing the innocent spiders and flies in with beauty and promise, only to snap shut and tear down the fragile happiness they’d managed to carve out of an inhospitable jungle. Monica was a drifter in the purest sense of the word, unable to stay in one place for long and perfectly capable of severing all ties with anyone who might miss her.

“That’s good. It’s cold here,” Newt said distantly. Monica laughed.

“Of course it is, dear, it’s the middle of the winter. You always were a little dense,” she teased. Newt didn’t know how to reply. What could you say to that?

After a beat of silence, Monica picked the conversation back up. “So, do you have many friends?”

“I do.”

“Well, do tell! Don’t just keep me waiting!” 

“There’s Tendo, and a few of the cheerleaders, and some of the school basketball team.” Was that too much information? He just really wanted her to hang up. Talking with his mother was an awkward, stilted affair that left him feeling emotionally drained and completely exhausted. A conversation with Monica was a minefield. Make one wrong step, and nothing would be the same afterward.

“Cheerleaders? Ooh, you must be popular!” Monica laughed. He could picture her twirling a lock of her blonde hair around one perfectly manicured finger. She always did that when she was talking to someone on the phone. 

“I’m captain of the cheerleading squad,” Newt said reluctantly. 

Monica was quiet for a few seconds. “Well, I always said you were destined to lead. I just didn’t picture it would be something so… well.”

Newt took a deep breath and barely contained his indignation. “I enjoy it.”

“That’s good,” she allowed, but didn’t sound convinced. Newt pulled the phone away to look at the timer. They’d been talking for nearly four minutes. This was officially the longest call he’d ever had from his mother. “Any cute girls on the cheerleading team? Or, um, boys?”

Of course she’d bring that up. He still didn’t know who’d told her that he wasn’t exactly ramrod straight. His money was on Tendo. “There’s a boy on the basketball team that I’ve been on a few dates with.”

_Good job, Newt. Drag Hermann into the conversation. That’ll make everything better._

“Well, it’s good that you’re not lonely. I’m glad you’re happy,” she said. “And I certainly want to meet him when I’m in town next week.”

“I don’t think—”

“Oh, I have to go. Good talking to you, dear. Looking forward to seeing you soon!”

The line went dead.

Newt sighed. That probably could have gone much better.


End file.
